The Power of Life and Death
by peggylove
Summary: (Warning: First Fanfic. aka, go easy on me :/) This is a story based on the Pokemon X and Y games from Serena's point of view. Serena is about to embark on an adventure with some new friends. What she doesn't know, is that she is bound with an ancient evil by a past of blood, and this evil won't let Serena slip through its clutches again.
1. Chapter 1 - New Town, Weirder People

"Oww…" I groaned, forcing myself out of my dreamy slumber "Was that necessary fletchling?"

I sat up in bed, pushing my covers back and stretching my arms above my head, shaking away the last remnants of a dream about Pokémon, like every night. A small, amber headed bird landed delicately in my lap and looked up at me with black, beady eyes. I glared at the little Pokémon, and it chirped back at me innocently. I sighed and dragged myself out of bed.

I examined myself in the mirror with disgust. My light, honey-brown hair stuck out from my head at a whole heap of awkward angles, I had a pattern on the left side of my cheek from sleeping on it and my eyes were lined with dark circles. _Yuk. _After some serious tugging and ripping, I managed to smooth out my hair, and then pulled on my favourite dress with a black blouse and a pleated red skirt that fanned out around me. I spent a good five minutes deciding how to wear my hat, positing it at different angles, putting different pairs of sunglasses with it and posing stupidly in front of the reflective glass. All the while, fletchling watched me curiously.

"Serena!" My mum called from downstairs, "Are you awake yet? Up and at em'! We've got a big day of unpacking and cleaning!"

"No!" I called back, "I'm still asleep! Hush!"

Even from upstairs, I could hear her chuckle to herself. I sighed to myself and looked at the little bird perched on my dresser. "What do you think the chances are of her having food down there?" I asked rhetorically, my stomach rumbling. The bird tilted its head to the side, trying to understand what I was saying. All Pokémon were like that with me. I envied people like my old friends who could talk with their Pokémon like they were humans as well. I guess I just couldn't connect with the curious creatures.

I trudged downstairs to see my mum slaving away in the kitchen. _Fooood, _I though dreamily. "Morning Miss 'still asleep'." My mum greeted me cheerily, "Come eat something. We have a big day and I know you're hungry."

"Maybe I'm not hungry. Did you consider that, huh, mum?" I said as she slid a plate of bacon and eggs towards me. I sat at the bench and dug in.

"Yeah right," mum snorted, "You're always hungry."

"Thanks mum," I said between mouthfuls, "It's delicious as always."

"Mmhmm," she said, "'Bout time you showed some gratitude."

I smiled sheepishly. I suppose I hadn't been thanking my mum enough lately, after everything she does for me. And I knew the moving from house to house was taking its toll on her. Sure, I lost some friends when we moved and get a little more heartbroken each time… but mum was the one who did all the hard work.

Mum dribbled on about unpacking, finding new friends, cleaning, settling the Pokémon down and how she promised that we wouldn't move again for at least another six months this time. She was cut off by a _ding!-_ing sound… the doorbell. My body tensed. _New people. _

My mum smiled. "We must have some cheery neighbours if they've come to greet us already! Serena, answer the door, would you sweetheart?"

I sighed and swung the front door open. I was greeted with the sight of two people – one boy and one girl – both of whom looked about my age. "Howdy!" said the girl, who was dressed in a pink shirt dotted with white bows and a pair of denim shorts. Her hair stuck up and out in a set of outrageous piggy tails. "I'm Shauna! You must be Serena, yes? Nice to meet you!"

"Uhh…" I fumbled for words. I didn't do well with new people. Yes, shock horror, I was shy.

"Oh!" Shauna went on, not noticing my discomfort, "And this is Calem! He lives just next door to here. Isn't that just the coolest?"

I directed my eyes to the boy that leaned against a tree that grew beside the front entrance. He wore a blue jacket with a white undershirt and black pants. He had dark, messy hair and bright blue/grey eyes that seemed to examine me with a lazy curiousness. "Hey."

"Anyways!" Shauna cheered, "Would you care to come on an adventure with us? It'll be super fun and amazing!"

"Umm…?" I frowned, confused, "An adventure?"

"Professor Skymore wants to give us a Pokémon each." Calem explained helpfully.

"A P-Pokémon?" I stammered. There was no way that I would do well with a Pokémon.

"Oh! That sounds absolutely delightful!" Came a familiar voice from behind me. _Butt out, mum, _I thought. "What a great opportunity Sweetheart! Go on, now, meet your new Pokémon."

"Uhh, I, umm…" I fumbled for words.

"Great!" Shauna clapped and jumped up and down, then hooked her arm through mine and dragged me with her as she skipped along. Calem casually strolled a pace behind us with his hands in his pockets. My mum waved cheerfully and Rhyhorn lifted its head sleepily at the commotion as we past it.

"Oh, I just know that we're going to be the _best _of friends Serena!" Shauna babbled on, "I bet our Pokémon will be best friends too! Oh, this will be so much fun!"

_Yeah, _I thought sarcastically to myself, _SO much fun…_


	2. Chapter 2 - First Battle

I stared at the three red and white balls that seemed to be glaring at me, seeing into my soul and exploiting all my weaknesses… for instances, my lack of skill when it comes to making a decision. In those poke balls lived three different Pokémon… all of which could possibly end up being mine. Their lives were literally in my hands.

"C'mon Serena," Tierno, a large boy with a carrot top head and squinty eyes said, "It's not life and death or anything… I'm sure they're all beautiful when they battle… all Pokémon are, after all. It's like they're dancing! That's why they're amazing!"

"Tierno." Trevor, a small boy with ginger hair said in a warning tone.

Now I felt pressured… I was holding everyone up. I squirmed, feeling uncomfortable being surrounded by four people whom I had just met. I ran my hand over the three Pokémon, hoping it might tell me something. Of course, it didn't. Chespin, a grass Pokémon; Froakie, a water Pokémon; Fennekin, a fire Pokémon. All seemed captivating in their own, unique ways.

"Don't rush her," Calem said unexpectantly, "It is a big deal. Pokémon deserve a trainer who understands them and their individuality. Serena is holding three lives in her hands, one of which is about to be changed forever. This choice will change her life forever."

Tierno looked down at his feet. I stared at Calem in shock for a moment. He literally had just voiced what I had been thinking. I went back to looking at the poke balls. As I stared at them, one seemed to move slightly. I payed more attention to that one, curious. Froakie. Something in my mind clicked and I closed my hand around Froakie's poke ball and handed the other two on.

Calem looked at me with a weird expression, and something gleamed in his eyes. _Oh no, _I thought, _He didn't want Froakie, did he? _"Thank goodness!" Shauna exclaimed, "I was hoping you wouldn't choose Fennekin! It's just so adorable…"

"Chespin it is for me, then." Calem said. Guilt gnawed at me.

"Oh, and Serena?" Trevor said nervously, "You should take this as well. It's a pokedex, so you can record all the Pokémon you meet along the way." He handed over a small, rectangular device with a screen.

"Thanks." I said, not sure what to do with it.

"Well, we should get going now!" Shauna declared cheerily, "Our adventures await!"

I looked nervously at the poke ball in my hand. Would Froakie even like me? What if he just decided to run away because I was such an awful trainer?

"Serena?" A voice cut through my thoughts. "Earth to Serena!"

I looked up at Shauna, who was wiggling a piece of paper in front of my face, trying to get my attention. "Sorry." I murmured.

"Here!" She shoved the piece of paper at me, "Get your mum to read this, and then meet us at route 2! Be seeing you!" The four of them all left, leaving me staring at the piece of paper. After a moment, I started walking back towards my house, mulling over everything that just happened.

"Oh, Serena!" Came Shauna's voice again. _What does it take to lose this girl? _"I almost forgot! Let's battle! You and me!"

"Oh…" I looked down at Froakie's poke ball. Would it even listen to me?

Before I could object, Shauna released her Fennekin and an orange blur of fur leaped through the air and landed on the pavement. The poke ball in my hand shook and it was as though I could sense the Froakie's anticipation for battle. It was a little creepy. Hesitantly, I launched Froakie onto the battle ground.

He was a little blue frog, his neck shrouded in white foam, making it look like he was wearing a scarf. He croaked and looked at me with his big, wide green eyes. For a moment, I could have sworn I saw him actually smile at me, before he turned his attention to the Fennekin in front of him.

Shauna jumped on the spot and clapped her hands. "Yay! Let's get this started! Fennekin! Used tackle!"

The little fox-like Pokémon charged towards Froakie, and for a moment, my mind blanked. My memories wandered and I saw a middle-aged man, instructing his Haxorous. It was battling a weaker Pokémon and the man knew he was going to win. He turned and smiled at me, before turning his attention back to the battle. I remember watching that man in admiration, wanting to be just like him and attempting to memorise exactly how he battled with his Pokémon.

I snapped back to the present battle, using those memories as guidelines. "Froakie! Dodge and use water gun from behind!" My Pokémon obeyed and hit the shocked Fennekin square on its back. The Fennekin slumped forward and quickly scrambled to its feet again.

"Tackle again!" Shauna ordered.

"Dodge!" I said calmly, finding a rhythm to the battle. It was relaxing. "Now, come back with pound and finish them with water gun."

Shauna's Fennekin lost its balance and slumped on the ground. It didn't get back up. "No!" Shauna cried, "I wasn't done watching my cute lil' Fennekin yet!" She returned her Pokémon to her ball and smiled at me. I decided to leave Froakie out for a little bit. "You're really good, Seri!"

"Thanks… Seri?" I asked, confused.

"Oh," Shauna explained, "That's what I've decided to nickname you! Don't-cha just love it?"

"Umm…"

"Well, I'll be off!" And Shauna ran backwards for a bit, waving and smiling at me, before she turned back around and headed towards Aquacorde Town, and I headed back towards Vaniville Town. Froakie bounced beside me, looking up at me.

"You and me now, buddy," I said to the little frog Pokémon, "What do you think about that?"

The frog croaked cheerfully at me and did its weird smiley thing again. It was like he could actually understand me or something. I smiled to myself as I feel happiness and relief flood through me. A Pokémon actually likes me. Maybe this adventure would be fun.


	3. Chapter 3 - No More Forests for me

This was not fun at all.

I had taken the piece of paper to my mum. She had happily read it and helped me pack my tote bag for my long journey. I had actually had fun showing off my new Froakie, and the little Pokémon soaked up all the attention, performing tricks and flips that my mum obsessed over.

Yes, it was _fun _watching Froakie jump about with fletchling, and seeing him sneeze when the small bird blew a puff of smoke at him. And it was _fun _riding on Rhyhorns' back to the front gate as a way of saying goodbye. And it was _fun _to stroll back to route 2 with Froakie cheerily bouncing alongside me.

Being chased by evil-looking bug Pokémon with red eyes that glowed the shadows of Santalune Forest was _not fun. _Not to mention Shauna clinging to me like we were Siamese twins or something. Her exact words were, as I recall, "I fell like if I stick close to you, something exciting will happen!" as we entered Santalune Forest. Well, she got plenty of that.

"AHHHH!" She screamed and grabbed my arm, "S-s-something moved! Over there!" She screeched, pointing at a spot amongst the tall grass and trees that was shrouded by shadows.

"I don't see anything." I said, trying to calm her down, although I eyed the spot where she pointed warily myself.

"C'mon guys," Calem said, chuckling to himself, "They're just Pokémon. And you have your own to protect you."

I glared at him. Currently, my so-called protector was perched on my head, croaking fearfully at the shadows. Froakie was a bigger scaredy cat than I was! Fennekin was leaping through the tall grass, blowing embers at any bug Pokémon she could find.

"Just Pokémon?!" An unfamiliar voice called out to Calem, "I challenge you to a battle. C'mon Scatterbug! Let's powder this punk!" Calem sighed and launched his Chespin into battle against the trainer.

"I-I'm gunna watch Calem battle, Seri. Go on without me." Shauna said and ran off to watch the battle between the trainer and Calem.

"Oh, um, sure…" I said, "I'll be ok…" I look around me at all the looming trees and tall grass. The only light in the whole forest were little patches here and there that had managed to break through the thick canopy. Froakie's webbed hands seemed to tighten around my head and he croaked nervously.

I took a deep breath and told myself to calm down. I took exactly one step forward with my new and improved calm mind… but then a Weedle flipped down from an overhanging branch and sprayed me in the face with its string shot. I seemed to abandon my whole calm mind resolve and bolted, screeching.

I ran for a little while, trying to untangle the sticky string from my hair. Froakie had finally taken to bouncing at my feet, but he didn't let any distance come between us. Finally, I discarded the last remnants of the sticky string and leaned against a tree, taking deep breaths. I stopped panicking and surveyed the scene in front of me. I couldn't see or hear any of the others, and it seemed darker in this part of the forest. I managed to identify a few Pokémon rustling through the grass, chattering with each other.

I had actually begun to find peace in observing all of the bug Pokémon, but then something in the air changed. Froakie leaped onto my shoulder and huddled close to my face. The bug Pokémon turned frantic, dashing in every direction and diving into different hiding spots. For a moment, there was complete and utter silence. The Pokémon had stopped all their rustling and chattering and it felt as though the whole forest stopped breathing.

My hairs stood on end and I scanned the area in front of me, looking for the thing that had set the Pokémon off. In front of me, amongst the shadows of the trees, a pair of bright red eyes opened, and they stared straight at me. _'So you are the one' _the words echoed eerily through my mind. _'I await you' _

I blinked and the eyes disappeared. I shuddered and dropped to my knees. I could feel the Pokémons' presence still, although it was fading. It felt dark and cold. It was almost like I could feel the icy whisper of death closing around me, my vision turning black and the world blurring. My head felt light and, although I didn't feel myself fall, in an instant my vision went sideways. I pair of big green eyes stared at me worriedly and Froakie croaked in concern. Then everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4 - Gym Battle

**So I hope everything is okay so far. It's a little bit nerve-wracking, this being my first fanfic, but it would be great to get any feedback from anyone :) Does it seem rushed? I have a feeling that it does, but I'm not sure. Anyhow, hope you enjoy :)**

**...**

When I woke up, I was lying on a comfortable bed, the covers pulled up around me. I heard faint snoring and turned over to see Froakie curled up in a ball beside my head, asleep. I carefully sat up and crawled out of bed. The room I was in seemed unfamiliar and plain, but somehow homely. I looked down and saw that I was still in the same clothes as I was in at the forest so I opened the door and stepped out.

I found myself in a corridor with multiple doors dotting the walls on either side. I walk around aimlessly until I come out into a room with a huge desk, a nurse with lively pink hair perched behind it. I go up to the desk. "Um, hello," I say awkwardly, "My name is Serena and I, uh, kinda just woke up here and I'm a bit confused…"

"SERI!" A voice called out from behind me. I flinched and turned around just in time to be tackled with a hug from Shauna. "I AM SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE OK!"

"Umm…" I pulled away and looked behind her to see everyone was there: Tierno shuffling his feet awkwardly, Trevor looking scared and genuinely concerned and Calem leaning against a wall showing no interest. "What happened?"

"Oh, in the forest?" Shauna said, "I don't even know! Well after I left you alone… I'm so sorry about that by the way!... yeah, so then I watched Calem win the battle easily, then we walked on, expecting you to be just a little ahead of us, but then we found the exit and we still hadn't found you so then we were a bit confused and then we heard Froakie and so we went back and searched EVERYWHERE for you and then…"

"Ok, ok," Calem stepped in, holding up his hands to settle Shauna, "Breathe Shauna. Do you remember how to do that?"

Shauna took a deep breathe. "Sorry… guess I got a bit carried away."

"Just a bit." Tierno laughed nervously. Shauna glared at him and he stopped mid-laugh. "Sorry. Please, do go on."

"So, as I was saying," Shauna continued, "When we found you, you were passed out and Froakie was sitting on your head making a racket, and there was a bunch of bug Pokémon huddled around you. But they weren't scary. It looked like they actually cared. A few even followed us when Calem carried you out."

"He carried me?" I blinked at Calem, a little shocked.

He just shrugged. "What? We needed to get you out of there, didn't we?"

"Annnnnd," Shauna wrapped up her story, "We brought you to the Pokémon centre and Nurse Joy over there let you stay here free of charge for the night." Shauna pointed to the lady with the pink hair that sat behind the counter, who smiled and waved at me.

I attempted to take it all in. "So, now we're in Santalune City?"

"Yep!"

"What's the time?" I asked curiously.

"Um," Shauna checked her watch, "Around about six in the morning. We had just got here to check on you, actually."

"So now that we're here, what do we do next?" Trevor asked quietly.

Everyone looked at each other. "Well, _I'm _going to just have a look around, maybe play around with my lil' Fennekin. Then I suppose move on,"

"I really want to go and see as many Pokémon as I can and fill up my pokedex." Trevor said.

"And I'm going to find some Pokémon that can dance as awesomely as me!" Tierno said enthusiastically.

Calem stared at me strangely for a moment, like he was seeing what I would do. But I wasn't even sure myself. "Oh!" Shauna suddenly exclaimed, "I know! Calem, you should try battling the gym leaders! I know what a great trainer you are! Oh, and you too Seri. When I battled you before you seemed so natural! You two have to, for sure!"

"Yeah! Definitely." Tierno and Trevor agreed.

Calem's eyes sparked as he looked at me. "How about it, neighbour?"

I swallowed. "I-I'm not that good… I mean I only had my first Pokémon battle yesterday."

"C'mon," Calem said, looping my arm with his, "Let's go. We'll take on this gym leader together. I wouldn't mind seeing just how strong you are anyway."

"You want me to slide down there?" I squeaked.

Calem shrugged. "Do you see any other way into the gym?"

I glared at the pole that lead down to what I guessed was the actual gym. "No way."

"C'mon, neighbour," Calem said, taking my hands and reaching out to place my hands around the cool metal, "I know that heart inside of you is a brave one."

"Nope, you're very wrong." But I didn't feel quite as scared with Calem's hands resting over mine.

"Take a leap, Serena." He said.

I took a deep breath as he moved his hands away and I jumped, letting my legs wrap around the pole as I fell. I landed safely on something soft and silky. I got to my feet unsteadily, the floor stretching and flexing beneath my feet. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Calem fell down beside me, and then got up, brushing himself off. "Wow…" we said in-sync.

The large, cavernous room we stood in the middle of was covered in spider webs. Beneath our feet stretched a series of silky strands that connected with each other, making a perfectly perfect web. "W-what is this meant to be?" I asked incredulously.

"The gym," Calem said, walking along one of the spider web strands, "Come on, we're going to have to move if you want to get to the gym leader."

I outstretched my arms for balance and followed Calem along the web, carefully placing my feet one in front of the other. I payed so much attention to where I was placing my feet that I didn't realise that Calem had come to a stop in front of me and I ran into him. I fell back, my balance tipping. I was going to fall. Luckily, Calem grabbed my wrist with one hand to catch me and wrapped his other around my waist to pull me back up.

The thing was though, he didn't let go. His blue/grey eyes bored into me, examining my own eyes with a look that could only be described as curiosity. Suddenly, there was a bright flash and a giggle. "My, my," Said a woman's voice, "How I just love capturing young love!"

I cleared my throat awkwardly and Calem released me. We both moved onto a wooden platform where a woman with blonde hair and a camera slung around her neck stood. "I was just catching her… you know, 'cause she fell." Calem said oh-so-smoothly.

"No need to be defensive," The gym leader said, "So anyways! What do I owe you're fantastic presence here in my fantastic gym? Is it a challenge you two seek?"

"Yes." Calem replied.

"My, my," she said, "Such determination! It's just fantastic! By the way, my name's Viola. Now, let me capture those looks of victory that you and your Pokémon will deliver." She held up her camera and engulfed as in a bright flash. When my eyes had recovered, she had her Pokémon in front of her, ready to battle.

I scrambled for Froakie's poke ball, but Calem stepped forward and threw out his Chespin. It was intriguing watching the two of them battle, especially Calem. He had the aura of a seasoned professional when it came to battling. He switched between his fletchling and his Chespin to defeat Viola with ease.

"Fantastic!" She exclaimed when they were done. She handed Calem a badge shaped like a bug and moved into a back room to heal her Pokémon before she battled me.

I felt suddenly nervous. There was no way I could do this… I only started battling yesterday. "Alright!" Viola appeared in front of me, her camera aimed at my face, "Let's see your inner beauty!"

She sent out a surskit, and I sent out my Froakie. Her Pokémon charged at mine, and I called on memories from when I was a little girl, watching the man whom I adored so much battle. I felt calm and in control. "Froakie, dodge and use pound from the rear."

I hit her Pokémon, but then she called, "Surskit, quick attack." And Froakie took a blow to his front. The two Pokémon circled each other wearily for some time, before I yelled, "Now, jump and water gun!" The surskit had charged, and Froakie leaped high into the air, so high that I thought he might hit the ceiling. The hit must have been critical because the surskit slumped and Viola called it back. She then sent out her Vivillon.

Straight off the bat, Froakie was hit with a string of attacks and I could tell, then and there that I was fighting a losing battle. I could tell Froakie was getting tired. "Hang in the Froakie!" I called, "I know you can do it! C'mon now, use water gun."

Froakie's attack hit, and Viola's Pokémon was slowed down temporarily. I was about to call out the next attack, when suddenly Froakie began to glow. I eventually had to shield my eyes and when I looked back, Froakie had changed shape completely. He looked more slender and lean and strong. He turned his head to me and croaked. Frogadier. I grinned at my new Pokémon and Viola snapped a few shots with her camera.

"Okay, let's finish this!" I yelled enthusiastically, Frogadier croaking a battle cheer as well, "Now jump, Frogadier! Use the walls and ceiling to your advantage! Water gun from all angles!" My Pokémon jumped from wall to ceiling to wall and back again, a jet of water erupting from his mouth and hitting the Vivillon at all angles. Try as it might, Viola's Pokémon couldn't keep up with Frogadier's speed and moves and it fainted.

I had actually won.


	5. Chapter 5: Pokemon Stalker

**So this part is pretty short... but then again my others aren't immensely long either :/ So I'm gunna try and make these chapters longer now :)**

**...**

"Wow!" Shauna exclaimed as we showed off our shiny new gym badges, "I knew you guys could do it!"

The three of us walked along through route 4, a pretty garden-like path will flowers and hedges everywhere. I could hear the Pokémon chattering happily amongst the grass. But I couldn't quite shake the feeling that I was being watched. Images of a pair of dark red eyes and a voice in my head flicked through my mind. _I await you. _ I shuddered.

"Seri, what's up?" Shauna asked, stopping.

"Hmm?" I said, snapping back to the present, "I was just thinking."

I turned to look back at Calem, who was still trailing a step or two behind us. He seemed to be frowning at me. Weird. I felt a blush creep into my cheeks.

"Well," Shauna continued to skip along the path, "I'm going to go on ahead to Lumiose City! I'll meet you guys there." And with that, she skipped away, her cheerful humming became slowly more and more distant.

"So what will you do now?" Calem said from behind me, making me jump.

"Oh, I, um, I-I'm not sure." I bumbled, "Probably just go where the wind takes me…"

"Shh." Calem interrupted. _Wasn't he the one who asked me a question? _I thought dryly. "Have you noticed it yet?"

"Umm," I scratched my head, "Noticed what?"

"I think you have an admirer."

"Wha-" He pointed to a tree that stood a few metres away. I stared at it, trying to figure out what he was getting at. "I don't see what you mean." I said after a few minutes.

He looked back over to the tree and shrugged. "Maybe it was my imagination."

_Ok, _I thought to myself, _Weird much? _We continued walking, this time, however, Calem walked next to me, hands still in his pockets. Now, though, I kept looking behind us every few steps, on guard about the whole "admirer" thing. I didn't notice much until Calem went off to battle another trainer. Then I noticed a small green body darting from behind a tree into a patch of tall grass and flowers. I eyed the Pokémon curiously. I took a few steps forward, and the grass that the Pokémon disappeared into rustled. I stopped, and it stopped.

I almost giggled to myself. I took a few steps towards the Pokémon. I could see the tip of a… flower bud?... sticking out over the edge of the grass. When I got too close though, the pokémon seemed to jump in surprise and rustle backwards a few steps. "I won't hurt you," I said softly, "You've been following me, haven't you?"

The flower bud seemed to jiggle a little bit. I smiled and took out Frogadier's poke ball. After I released him, the frog pokémon bounced into the tall grass. There was rustling and chattering before two Pokémon exploded from the grass and onto the pavement, circling each other playfully.

Frogadier shot a bit of water at the small green and yellow pokémon, who shook itself off and blew some yellow powder in my pokémon's face, causing him to sneeze. I laughed and moved forward carefully. I knelt in front of the new pokémon and pulled out my pokedex. "A budew?" The pokémon chirped happily and twirled around.

"Ah," said Calem, coming up behind me, "Found the stalker, did we?"

The budew jumped and ran behind me, pushing itself up against my leg, hiding from Calem. We both laughed and I bent down to talk to the pokémon. "Don't worry, he's friendly."

The pokémon hesitantly revealed itself from behind me and examined Calem warily. "Why don't you ask if it wants to travel with you?" Calem asked me.

"Hm?" I said, shocked, "I dunno about that…"

The budew snuggled up against my ankle. "Looks like she likes you. Why not?" Calem pushed.

I bit my lip, thinking about it. Finally, I dug out an empty poke ball from my bag and held it out to the budew. "Do you want to come with me on my journey?"

The budew bobbed its flower bud and jumped towards the poke ball. I grinned and tapped the ball gently against her head. Once the pokémon was safely inside, I returned Frogadier to his poke ball.

"Congratulations," Calem smiled at me, "Now Frogadier won't be so lonely."

"I'm hurt that you disregard me as company for my Pokémon." I retort sarcastically, then blush because I couldn't believe I just said something sarcastic to this boy who was basically a stranger.

He chuckled, but then thunder rumbled across the sky. Dark grey clouds were quickly covering up the beautiful blue sky, blocking out the sun and giving the air a chilly bite. We both agreed to pick up the pace to get to Lumiose City quicker. I got stuck in a Pokémon battle with a persistent trainer and sent Calem on ahead, telling him that I would meet up with everyone in the city.

It was strange, being on my own. I didn't feel safe or happy or light like I did before. After my battle, that I easily won, I jogged the rest of the way through the route, getting to the city gates as quickly as I could. By the time I got there, it was already spitting and I wrapped my arms around my body to fight off the cold. I looked down at the poke balls in my bag. _Yep, this is our life for a long time now. Hope you guys like Mother Nature. _

_..._

**Thanks for reading :) Hope you're enjoying this so far!**


	6. Chapter 6: Blackout

**Here's chapter 6 :) Hope its ok :3**

...

Finally, I reach the gates to the city. Annndd, I'm stopped by two people. One is a boy with sandy blonde hair and the other is a girl with violet coloured hair. I learn that their names are Sina and Dexio. They are kind enough to show me to the research lab where the professor and others should be waiting, and then they disappear.

I take the elevator to the third floor, anticipation of meeting the professor flooding through me. When a _ding!_ sounded and the elevator doors slid open, I was met with a view of Lumiose City from a large, floor-to-ceiling window. I could see the famous Prism Tower, magnificently lit up with bright, flashy lights, illuminating the city that seemed to have a shadow cast over it from the grey storm clouds that had descended rather quickly. As I watched, a crack of lightning zipped across the sky, followed by a monstrous clap of thunder. I can feel Frogadier and Budew quivering in their poke balls.

"Serena?" Came a deep voice, "Come in, come in." I turned to my left to see a man in a white coat with dark hair smiling at me. "You're the first one to arrive."

He leads me into his office, which consisted of a desk, a computer, some chairs and I wall-mounted TV. The professor moved behind his desk and began searching through his draws. At last, he pulled out three poke balls. He displayed them proudly, and I looked at them blankly.

"Well?" he said, observing me expectantly. I shrugged, unsure if there was supposed to be something that I was supposed to understand or not. He sighs and walks up to me, placing the three pokeballs in my hands. "I'm giving you a Pokémon! You can choose any one of these three."

I looked down at the three new lives in my hands, a little bit shocked. "One's a Squirtle, one's a Charmander and the last one is Bulbasaur."

My throat goes dry. I felt the exact same way when I had to choose my first Pokémon. How could I make such a quick decision when all three of these pokemons' lives meant so much? Who was I to change ones', and not the others? I tried to think rationally, but in the end I panicked, seeing the professor become impatient and choosing the first one that seemed to be even slightly different from the other two.

A Charmander. Fire.

When I heard the _ding! _of the elevator, I almost dropped my new companion. Shauna and Calem came around the corner. Shauna jumped up and down and shook the professors' hand with much enthusiasm. Calem waved and assumed his position against the wall, hands buried in his pockets. I was starting to think that perhaps he was just purely indifferent.

I was surprised when the professor didn't offer the other two a new Pokémon. Why was I so different? I couldn't make sense of it, and the prof. put his finger to his lips when the other two weren't watching. I stealthily put Charizards' pokeball back into my bag, amongst the other two.

"Hey, Serena." Calem said, appearing behind me while Shauna and the prof. were discussing something, scaring me half to death.

"Um, hi," I said awkwardly. Of course I chose that moment to realise that his eyes were actually really intriguing and just completely mesmerising, thus causing myself to feel like I needed to be just as good. But I would never be as interesting as any one of my new friends. I felt completely and utterly _normal. _I had to remind myself that being normal wasn't a bad thing, but I still felt hopeless under Calems' gaze.

"I want to challenge you to a battle." He said blatantly, "And I want to win."

Heat rushed to my cheeks. "B-battle m-m-me?" I squeaked, caught off guard, "I wouldn't be very good."

"Don't worry about it." Calem said reassuringly, "I saw the way you battled Viola. You'll do great."

The prof. clapped and grinned, suddenly paying attention to our conversation, "How exciting. Friendly competition is always a great thing to have! Let's do this!"

I was half shoved out of the lab by Shauna, who seemed rather excited about the idea of Calem and I battling. The four of us crowded on the street of Lumiose City. It was pouring rain, but no one seemed to care. Thunder rolled across the city, making the ground beneath my feet quake. A stroke of lightning illuminated the dark sky, which was obscured with clusters of dark storm clouds, blocking out all light apart from the Prism Tower and all the street lamps. Wind flung my hair sideways, making me swipe it back irritably. "Let's get this over with quickly so we can get out of the storm!" The prof. called.

Calem brought out his pokeball from his bag, and I scrambled to do the same. He released his Quilidin. I was shocked for a moment, but of course he had evolved his Pokémon. I looked down at my new pokeball for a moment. A new life in my hands. It was almost overwhelming. I released Charmander.

Our Pokémon released their own battle cries, signalling that they were ready to fight. Charmander assessed me warily, but then nodded as if in approval before turning back to his opponent. Calem called out, "Ready?"

I actually managed a smile. "Rea-"

I cut off. Shauna gasped and our Pokémon made sounds of confusion. Suddenly, the world had gone dark. I could barely see everyone's silhouettes. I returned Charmander to its pokeball in a panic.

Lightning slashed across the sky viciously, lighting up everyone's confused and panicked faces. People left on the streets were rushing back to their homes and calling out in alarm. Thunder deafened me for a moment, and then everything went black again. The Prism Tower had gone out.

The city was plunged into complete darkness.

"Serena," A voice whispered in my ear, making me jump half out of my skin, "Are you ok?"

I recognised the voice as Calem. He had taken my hand in his and was clutching it tightly. "Yeah, I'm ok." I squeaked, trying to keep my voice calm and collected. Not only was I scared of the dark, but Calem holding my hand wasn't exactly calming me either. It was nice and made me happy, but it made my nerves bounce off the walls.

"Fennekin," Shauna called out from somewhere to the right of us, "Use ember."

A tiny ball of fire illuminated Shauna and Professor Sycamore. We instinctively made our way over to them. "Ok everyone; let's head back into the lab for now." The prof. said reasonably.

We all agreed and made a single file, Fennekin leading the way with its ember. I brought up the back of the line, and couldn't help but stop by the doors to the lab. I looked up at the sky just as another streak of lightning flashed. I could have sworn that the clouds opened up and a dim red light leaked through. The clouds shaped a pair of eyes that glared right through me. The thunder sounded like a laugh, deep and menacing, rolling in the ground beneath my feet.

Fear soaked into me, chilling the deepest parts of my body. I heard the memory of a voice in my head. _I await you. _I try and take deep breaths, but my heart is racing too fast. The feeling of emptiness closed around my heart and my vision blurred. I stared at the eyes, captivated and utterly terrified at the same time.

"Serena?" Calem tugged on my hand.

I forced myself to look away. I managed to catch a glimpse of Calem's worried expression before the lightning died down and his face was shadowed by darkness once more.

"I'm ok. Sorry." I said quickly and followed him inside. I tried to shake the feeling of being watched away. The emptiness was subsiding and my heart was slowly steadily. I thought that I must have slowly been losing my mind.

...

**And yes, I know I put Charmander out in the rain. I'm sorry :P Don't judge me! I was just making a scene :3**


	7. Chapter 7: A Date?

**Here's chapter 7 :)**

**I would like to apologize for my stupid mistake in the last chapter about Pokemon's names :/ I don't even know what I was thinking. I even proofread it like a gazillion times :P Oh well... I've hopefully fixed it all now and thanks to the dude that pointed it out :) Hopefully it's all good now**

**Anyways, enjoy :D**

**...**

The storm wasn't subsiding any time soon, that much was clear. Shauna, Calem and I decided to make camp at the Pokémon lab for the night, claiming that the storm was too violent for us to make it to the poke centre. Three mattresses had been laid out across the floor of Professor Sycamore's office for us, and once the Professor had said goodnight, the three of us were alone, in the dim office lit only by a few candles. The power was still out, so we had to go without electricity.

Shauna pretty much immediately said goodnight and snuggled beneath her blankets, after releasing her Fennekin and burying it under the crook of her arm so they could sleep together. Within minutes she was snoring, and Calem and I were left to stare awkwardly at each other.

"Don't worry," Calem whispered, so to not wake Shauna, "I will get that battle from you one of these days."

My cheeks flamed red for some unknown reason. "Ok." I said lamely. _Ok? That was the best I could do? _

I turned away in embarrassment and tried to make myself look busy by rummaging through my bag. I wasn't looking at him, but I heard him shift behind me. I turned around and saw that he was shimmying beneath the covers of his makeshift bed. I decided to do the same and, since our beds were beside each other, we ended up staring at each other face to face.

"Are you ok, Serena?" he asked softly.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You seemed kinda shaken up after the black out." He said, keeping his voice quiet for Shauna.

"Oh," I looked away from his intense grey eyes. "I just don't really like the dark."

Calem smiled, unexpectantly. Only then did I realise that I had never seen him smile so warmly and genuinely. Sure, there were a few sarcastic and indifferent smirks here and there, but this was different. "I don't like it either."

I found myself smiling back at him. He seemed so cool and indifferent to everything before, but now he seemed softer, more approachable.

Maybe it was just because I was getting to know him, but sometimes he seemed like two different people. I thought about him at the poke centre after the forest incident. He had shrugged carrying me to safety off like it was just a job to be done and he couldn't have cared less. And then I thought about him in the street immediately after the blackout. He had seemed genuinely worried about me.

_Geez guys are annoying_, I thought.

"Hey, Serena?" He said, cutting through my thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"What do you think about coming to a café with me tomorrow? I mean, if the storm has died down. Lumiose has the best cafes." He paused for a moment, examining my face, "Of course you don't have to! I mean, it was just an offer and if you don't want to then I totally get it and I-"

His talking became more and more rapid, but I giggled and he stopped. "What's so funny?" He asked defensively.

I shrugged. "You're getting flustered. You're usually so calm and cool."

His cheeks lit up like beacons.

"But," I said, "I would, um, love to go to a, er, café with you."

Calem smiled brightly. "Great! I mean," he cleared his throat, quieted his volume and dropped his pitch a good few octaves, "That's cool."

I supressed a fit of laughter for Shauna's sake, but giggled quietly.

"Goodnight, Serena." Calem whispered to me. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I smiled. "Goodnight." I replied.

I let my eyes flutter closed. I thought a quick remembrance to a memory, of a long time ago, as I did every night before I slept, and let my drowsiness surround me.

* * *

The next morning, I woke to a pair of bright green eyes hovering inches from my face. "Seri!" Shauna squealed and giggled, "Good morning!"

"Shauna?" I asked groggily, "What are you doing on top of me?"

"Waking you up, of course!" She replied cheerily and rolled off of me so I could sit up. _And I thought these people couldn't get any weirder. _"Oh, and Seri! You should get ready. Today we're going shopping!"

"Shopping?"

* * *

An hour later, Shauna had dragged me into some fancy-smancy boutique filled with dresses, skirts, tops and hats. I didn't pay much attention to what Shauna was doing, just following her around and obeying when she ordered me to try something on. I didn't even really pay attention to the clothes I was putting on.

No, I wasn't a huge shopping person. Gasp, shock horror. To be honest, I didn't see what was wrong with my simple red and black dress. I was quite fond of it, actually.

In the end, Shauna picked out a dress, payed for it and ordered me to put it on. I hadn't realised that she was actually going to buy something and I couldn't even remember which dress she had bought. It turned out to be simple enough, and it fit me well. The light yellow fabric flowed around me, highlighting my eyes rather well. It was the perfect yellow too: not too out-there and not too subtle.

She dragged me back onto the street, which was still damp from last night's storm. The Prism Tower was still out and people were gathered around it, gossiping about the gym leader and the Prism Tower being a cheap rip off if it was that easily ruined. None the less, without the tower the city still held a unique beauty.

I was still dazed when Shauna pulled me into a salon, and relayed to the stylist how to do my hair. It all happened so quickly, and before I knew it Shauna and I were standing outside of a small café. "Now remember!" Shauna said excitedly, "No pressure!"

"Huh?" I was overly confused.

And then Calem popped up beside me, scaring me out of my skin. He had a way of sneaking up on me. Things suddenly clicked together and my stomach dropped. Shauna had been getting me ready for a… date?... with _Calem. _

I knew that I had agreed to this last night, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. I couldn't handle this. My first date. I was so unprepared. I turned to Shauna for help, but she was already backing away. "Good luck, lovebirds!"

Both of our cheeks flamed bright red, but Calem was the first to brush it off. "I'm sorry. I kinda asked her to help set this all up."

"I guessed." I muttered, still stunned.

Calem led me inside the café and a waiter showed us to our table. It was rather pretty, the café, with a modern and clean look. There were barely any people inside, save a few odd couples and a lonesome man in a corner booth reading the newspaper. Calem and I ordered coffee's and were left alone to stare awkwardly at each other.

As time ticked by, we started talking more and more casually and I found myself laughing and, for a moment or two, actually leading the conversation. It was so unlike me and once I realised what I was doing, I seemed to involuntarily shut down, and before long the conversation died off.

We drank our coffee in silence, until we were finished and Calem, looking to break the silence, asked, "So tell me about your parents."

Immediately, I shrank into my seat. My parents…

"My mother is a Rhyhorn racer." I said broadly, hoping that he would leave the conversation as it was.

"What about-" He cut off, looking up from his coffee cup and at my face. My expression must have shown that my parents were a touchy subject, because he let his question die. But I finished it in my head. _What about your father?_

"My, my," Came an unfamiliar voice, "What do we have here? Professor Sycamore's latest pupils?"

Calem and I looked up to see a man with outrageously red hair, dressed in a suit tinted with red. His expression seemed angry and tense. Calem spoke up on our behalf, "Yes, we are completing the pokedex for him, sir."

The man nodded. "I'm sure you are. Lovely to meet you. My name is Lysandre. A friend of the professor, if you will."

Calem stood and extended his arm. "I'm Calem." He shook Lysandre's hand. "And this here is Serena."

I stood awkwardly and shook his hand. His eyes bored into mine, and when I tried to let go, he grasped my hand tighter. "What is it that drives your ambition, Serena? For me, it is to see a perfect world, devoid of any ugliness. I believe that this world was once beautiful, and still _is _beautiful. But it is fading."

"Um, I…" I stuttered as awkwardly as I ever had before.

"I sense potential within you, Serena. You know that I am right. You, too, see the beauty of this world and cherish it, don't you? You see the world not in white and black, but with all the shades of grey in between. You see not just happiness and sadness, but all the wonderful emotions in between."

I was shocked into silence. He seemed to be babbling, but I was completely wrapped.

He continued, "You feel not hot and cold, but all the perfect temperatures. You do not feel pain and numbness, but all the feelings of iciness and hollowness."

_Iciness? Hollowness? _I thought about my encounter in the forest… just thinking about the feeling that had engulfed my entire body sent a chill down my spine. The empty, lonely, hollowness in my heart. The feeling of…

"Death," Lysandre said darkly, "And life. But all of the dimensions within."

I stared at this strange man with wide eyes. _How could someone know the feeling of death, and still be alive? _Yet, _I _knew. I had felt its presence three times in my life now. The latest two with my encounters with those glaring red eyes. The first time…

"We should be leaving now." Calem said abruptly, cutting through my thoughts, "We need to get moving to the next town anyways."

Lysandre composed himself. "I do hope we are able to meet again."

With that, Calem mumbled a brief farewell and half-dragged me out of the café. "What a creep." He mumbled as we headed towards the Pokémon lab. "Let's do our best to avoid him from now on."

"Agreed." I murmured, staring at my feet as we walked. Try as I might, I couldn't get his words out of my head. He spoke of beauty, but of life and death at the same time? He must have been losing his mind. I made an effort to discard whatever dark thoughts I had been thinking and focus on my journey… with the new friends that I was making. This was a time for me to get over the past, not dwell on it.

...

**Thank you for reading my story :3 Hope it's all good so far and not too silly or confusing. But if there's anything wrong with it (or if you think it's just totally awesome) please let me know with a review or even a PM or just follow it... or favorite it. Trust me, I won't complain :3**

**Thanks for being awesome :DDDD ( no reason, just it a good mood)**


	8. Chapter 8 - Pokemon Hordes

**Hi guys... another chapter :) This one is a bit of a filler... sorry :P So prepare for lame jokes and horrible cliches. I promise the next chapter will be better. Oh, and I apologize (if you noticed) for not updating this very quickly. I've been hella cray cray :P sorry couldn't resist... In other words, I've been busy. Anywho, enjoy ;D**

...

"Just keep running!" Tierno called out to me. Surprisingly enough, he was running a few steps ahead of me. I made a mental note subconsciously to work out more often.

"They just keep coming." Trevor sobbed/panted as we ran.

I, for one, was actually enjoying myself. Hey, it's not every day you get to majestically leap through tall grass with your friends, the wind blowing through your hair, the scent of honey wafting past you nose, the sound of angry Pokémon's feet stomping behind you.

"Whose idea was it to bring the honey?" I joked, aiming my remark directly at Trevor, who had been the one to fill his backpack with jars of honey before we set out on the route to the next town.

Trevor pouted as he ran, "I only wanted to see a horde. I didn't expect it to chase us all the way through the route!"

_Oh Trevor. _

I spared a look behind me and saw that the Pokémon had fallen back a bit. We had about three different hordes of multiple Pokémon chasing us, so it was hard to tell the different species apart. My legs were becoming sore and I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep running. At least I had decided to change back into my regular clothes, which were at least a little more suited for running than that yellow sundress.

"Maybe you should just dump the honey!" I called out to Trevor, who gave me a horrified look in response.

"I payed good money for this! And it's part of my research."

Tierno scoffed, "What research? Are you going to write a book on how to be chased by angry Pokémon hordes?"

When Trevor didn't take any action, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and searched through my bag as I ran, searching for a poke ball so I could fend the Pokémon off. Unfortunately, as my luck would have it, when I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, I crashed into something… or more like someone.

My brain couldn't process what or who I had run into while we were toppling hopelessly towards the ground, but before long, I was lying on top of them, and my eyes were locked with a pair of familiar, intense grey eyes. "Calem?" I mumbled. I had thought that he had gone ahead of us three to find Shauna, who had left earlier.

The eyes creased in confusion. "Do I know you?" His voice was deep and… not Calem's.

I suddenly became very conscious of our situation, and scrambled off of him. As I did so, something flew by my head at lightning speed… then something else… and something else. It was the Pokémon horde, hurdling right past us. In the distance, I heard Trevor crying out. I guess all they were after was the honey after all.

"That was some horde you had after you." The unfamiliar voice said. I looked up from where I was sitting on the ground, to see the boy was standing and offering me his hand. I took it cautiously and let him pull me to my feet. I came up face to face with him, and saw for myself that this boy was, in fact, not Calem. He had similar grey eyes, but his hair was more brown and his features slightly… older looking. He must have been a few years older than me.

"I am so sorry." I said, my cheeks flaming red, "I didn't mean to barge into you like that."

He smiled. "It's cool. It's not every day I get to be mowed down by a stunningly attractive young girl."

_Huh? _I thought, my brain not processing his words right, _stunningly attractive girl? _I even almost asked him who he was talking about before I realised that he must have been talking about me. "Oh, um, I, erm…"

The boy chuckled, "Just take the compliment, honey." He extended his hand towards me, "I'm Michael, by the way. Nice to meet you."

I took his hand, but was unable to hide my angry red blushing. "I'm Serena."

"Serena…"He said, contemplating my name briefly, "I like it. Such a…serene name." I stared at him blankly. "What?" he asked, grinning at his own lame joke, "Can't blame a guy for trying."

Despite myself, I cracked a smile.

"See?" He said, pointing at my mouth, "I knew I was funny. My mum always told me that my dream of becoming a comedian was pointless and worthless and that I should give up. She said, dare I say it, that puns weren't funny, just annoying. I know, no need to pity my poor upbringing.

Hardship has made me what I am today."

I rolled my eyes at him. "And what's that? An arrogant bastard?" I can't believe I just said that.

He put his hand over a spot on his chest where his heart should be. "I'm hurt. I really am."

I grinned at him. _What am I doing? How can I be so at ease? He's a stranger! _

"Serena," He declared dramatically, "I will accompany you to wherever it is that you are heading."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you even know where I'm heading?"

"Not a clue." He said confidently.

"Then how do you know that we would be heading in the same direction?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Touché. But, alas, I am but a weary traveller, going wherever the wind takes me. So, right now, the wind is blowing in the direction that you are heading, so I will travel with you."

I licked my finger and stuck it in the air. "The wind it travelling that way." I pointed to the way I had come from, "And I am going this way." I pointed at the path I was heading down.

"I never liked the wind anyway." He declared.

And with that, he started walking along with me. His company was strange, yet comfortable and familiar. It was as though I had already met him. In fact, it was like we were already friends, before we had met. He had such a friendly and welcoming aura to him, and he made it seem as though I was actually comfortable around him. I found myself talking to him freely, like I would to an old friend. It was nice. I didn't have to lock myself inside, and I didn't need to be self-conscious. This was a whole new experience for me.

We reached a cave, which we found out was blocked, so we found another way around it. Eventually, we found ourselves on a cliff, looking down at the city below us. Cyllage City. "That's where I need to go." I told Michael, who nodded.

"Well then, let's get ourselves down there."

As we worked our way down the cliff, we ended up talking about rocks. Considering the path we were on was covered in them, I didn't find our topic to be all that strange. "I'm actually really interested in fossils." Michael was telling me, "I'm actually doing some research on some legendary fossils, which supposedly contain two legendary pokémon."

"Legendary Pokémon? In fossils?" I asked, the topic slightly confusing me.

Michael looked at me sideways. "It's pretty interesting, right? Apparently, they fossilised when they were no longer needed or something. I don't actually know much about it, but my dad did. I overheard a few of his conversations with professors and such. That's why I'm out here…

I'm searching for some answers."

"So do you actually have these fossils?" I asked curiously.

He looked down at his feet. "No, no. I'm not even completely sure that they exist, to be honest. It's mostly just a myth."

"A myth…?"

I was cut off by Michael saying, "Hey look! We're practically there."

We were standing at the entrance to a… an aquarium? "We go through here to get to the city." Michael informed me. "Ready for a romantic stroll through the aquarium?"

My cheeks blazed red and I crossed my arms over my stomach, suddenly feeling awkward. Why did he have to go and say something like that anyways? I thought we were growing a great friendship.

He seemed to notice my change of aura and gave me a lopsided grin that seemed to melt away my self-securities. "C'mon now, Serena. I'm just messing with you." He draped an arm around my shoulders. "Let me rephrase. Ready for a friendly stroll through the aquarium?"

I smiled briefly and leaned into him. "Let's go."

The aquarium was disappointingly small. Within five minutes we had seen all the fish Pokémon and were stepping back out into daylight, Cyllage

City looming above us. "Wasn't that just exhilarating!" Michael beamed sarcastically.

I snorted, "I think the most exciting part was that lady tripping on her shoelaces."

Michael laughed, but then his face morphed into an expression of mock seriousness, "Serena, don't be mean."

I punched him lightly on the shoulder and he broke out into a speech about how I had broken his arm.

As we came into the city, Michael turned all serious on me. "Hey, Serena? Before, when you crashed into me ever-so-majestically, you called me something… Cayden… Caleb…?"

"Calem." I said.

His expression changed, making me ask him, "Why? Do you know someone called Calem?"

"Actually, I…"

"Serena!" Called a high-pitched, excited voice that could only be…

"Shauna?" I called as my friends, still clad in hot pink and as bouncy and as full of energy as ever, came barrelling towards me.

She tackled me with a hug, then pulled back and saw Michael. "Who's this?" She asked.

Michael smiled and extended his hand, "I'm Michael."

"Pleasure to meet you." Shauna chirped happily, "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal Seri away from you."

"Where are we going?" I asked, slightly worried.

"It's a surprise! But you're new friend can't come, sorry."

"Blunt." Michael said in fake hurt, "But it's okay, I have things to do anyways." He gave me a bright smile, "We will meet again, my dear serene Serena."

I smiled back at him, "I sure do hope so."

Shauna and I watched him leave, heading back towards the cliffs. Once he was a fair distance away, Shauna began to drag me deeper into the city. "Where are we going now?" I asked her.

"I told you!" She said, "It's a surprise! But, if you must know," She gave me a mischievous smile, "You're going to get your second gym badge!"

...

**Thanks for reading guys :D Hope this chapter wasn't too boring for you. I'll try and make it a bit more exciting next time :) As always, please leave me a review telling me what you think, or just follow/fav. I'll love you forever if you do! **


	9. Chapter 9:My 2nd badge goes up in flames

**Guess who got sick, got a day off school and had a whole day of boredom to write a new chapter faster than usual?**

**Hope you like it. I've tried to add in some battling since I haven't done much of that but I don't think I'm that great at it... like, first fan fiction and all and ****I'm just lame... but if you guys have any suggestions as to how I could improve my battles it would be so very appreciated... and maybe I'll end up writing them more if I grow my confidence a little bit, who knows?**

**...**

_Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down… _

Those three words repeated through my mind. I wasn't necessarily afraid of heights… I just didn't feel exactly comfortable dangling from a ten metre high vertical wall, holding onto small plastic stones like they were my lifeline. I'd never been rock-climbing before and this was not the way I had wanted to have my first experience.

"You can do it Seri!" Shauna called from the ground. If I could turn and glare, I would have. After she had dragged me away from my new friend, she had pulled me up a hill and into a cave-like entrance that turned out to be a gym. I was actually excited at first, and then I saw the rock-climbing walls. Nope. What made it even worse was Shauna declaring that she would stay and watch from the ground, because 'unnecessary physical exercise wasn't her thing'. Like, what? So, here I was, slowly making progress towards the top of the artificial mountain that was the second gym… alone.

I saw a ledge coming up ahead for me to get off, and I proceeded with motivation to get my feet planted on solid ground. Once I had dropped onto the even ground, I squatted, resting my head on my knees and taking deep breaths. I looked up, expecting to see yet another wall to scale, but to my surprise, all I saw was a flat, open space with two people standing next to each other.

"Welcome, challenger!" Came a cry from the first man, who had dark skin and hair with colourful beads weaved through his wavy locks. "I am

Grant, and I am assuming that you are here to challenge me, correct?"

I nodded.

"Today will be your unlucky day," Grant said, "Because my Pokémon are strong and we will win at all costs."

The person beside the gym leader laughed softly. "Don't be so sure."

For the first time, I payed the other boy some attention. It was Calem. Like, the actual Calem this time, and not a random who had similar eyes.

I blinked at him, then asked, "Did you challenge Grant, too?"

Calem nodded, then said, "And if I can win, so can you, Serena. Give it your best shot. I'll support you."

A rush of happiness washed over me. He was someone I could trust, right? He was there to support me...

Grant pointed at me. "Very well – Serena, was it? – Challenge accepted. I won't hold back."

And with that, he was sending out his first Pokémon, which was a Tyrunt. "Go, Frogadier!" I called out, throwing my starter Pokémon's ball onto the battleground.

Grant didn't waste any time, and straight away called out, "Tyrunt, use rock tomb."

Frogadier was showered with falling boulders, but it barely affected him, it seemed. My Pokémon looked back at me, waiting for a command, but then the strangest thing happened.

I forgot what to do. I had a mind blank and my heart started beating faster. I couldn't do this. Commands for my Pokémon had escaped my mind, and I panicked, trying to think up something to do. Seconds passed, and still I got nothing.

"Serena…?" I heard Calem say. I looked up momentarily and saw both Grant and Calem looking at me worriedly.

Tears pricked at my eyes as I stared at them, unable to think or even move now. I was embarrassed, yes, but there was something else there too. _What would my father say? _

"Are you ok?" Calem asks softly, stepping towards me.

I locked eyes with him, saw the worry and concern, and I couldn't handle it. "Frogadier," I whisper, my voice shaky, "Return."

I wait for my Pokémon to settle safely in its poke ball, turn on my heels and flee. I run from Grant and Calem, slide down a steep hill, kicking up dust as I go, to reach the bottom.

"Serena?" Shauna says as I pass her. I ignore her, running past her. By now, I had tears streaming down my face and I wasn't even sure why. I break into the daylight and keep on running down the hill that I had come up with Shauna to reach the gym.

I keep running, letting the wind dry my tears. As I ran, I could almost feel the ground rumbling with… laughter? I swore that I could hear laughing; deep, menacing and cold, but I ignored it and ran faster, trying to get away from it, I guess.

I didn't stop until I had reached a grassy, seemingly empty, plane. I sunk onto the soft grass, curling myself up into a ball and letting myself cry. I tried wondering to myself why I was crying, but the confusion of that made me cry harder. What was wrong with me? I immediately took out

Frogadier's poke ball and released him, taking comfort in my Pokémon's presence. His company calmed me slightly, and I distracted myself by mumbling apologies to him. My Pokémon croaked at me worriedly, then puffed out his neck like a bullfrog and leaped around me, trying to cheer me up, it seemed. After a minute or two, my mind was in a much better place and I had almost forgotten about the incident completely. And this was why I loved Pokémon.

For the first time since I arrived here, I surveyed my surroundings. I was in a large field, but what was different about this field was that it was ringed with tall, looming stones. The stones were captivating, and strangely beautiful. They came in all different shapes and sizes, and it was almost like each rock was its own person… er, rock… with a different personality. I moved towards one of the stones, but before I could reach it, I heard, "Serena! Serena, where are you?"

It sounded like Calem and Shauna. I took a deep breath, prepping myself for meeting them. Only now did I realise just how utterly embarrassing my little scene back at the gym was. "I'm over here!" I called out.

Moments later, Shauna was tackling me with one of her infamous hugs and Calem was asking frantically if I was okay. I answered his questions and assured the both of them that I was fine. Thankfully, neither of them asked what had happened, and I didn't offer the information up. I think that they… maybe… actually understood me.

Only a few minutes after that, Grant came into the clearing. "Serena," he said, "Are you ok? I'm sorry if I scared you or something back at the gym."

I forced a smile. "I'm fine."

"Well," he said, pasting on an over-sized grin, "What do you say to a re-take of our battle. From what Calem tells me, that wasn't how you usually act when you start a battle."

Would I freeze up again? Was I capable of battling anymore?

Calem slid his hand discreetly into mine. "You can do it, I know you can. Show him whose boss," He whispered to me softly.

I looked into his grey eyes, hoping that he saw my thankfulness reflected in my own blue-coloured ones. "Ok, Grant," I declared, trying to hide the undercurrent of nervousness in my voice, "This time, I will win."

The gym leader smiled. "Let's do this."

For the second time that day, he sent out his Tyrunt. Since my Frogadier was already out, I stepped back and let my Pokémon step onto the battleground.

"Tyrunt," Grant started to say, "Use rock…" But I already knew what he was going to do.

"Frogadier!" I commanded, putting force and confidence that I didn't know I had possessed behind my words, "Dodge and use water pulse!"

My attack hit Grants' Pokémon dead on, and the Tyrunt stumbled. "Now, bite." Grant ordered.

"Dodge!" I said, but Tyrunt had already closed its jaws over my pokemons' leg. I gritted my teeth. "Pound!" I instructed.

My Pokémon attacked the Tyrunt while it was still attached to its leg.

"Tyrunt, stomp." Grant ordered.

I watched, wincing as my Pokémon took a blow, but my mind was on that same memory once again, and I could see a perfect opportunity opening up for my Pokémon. "Wait for it… Now! Water gun, finish him off." As the Tyrunt was launching itself forward for a second attack,

Frogadier released a powerful stream of water into the opposing Pokémon's stomach and the Tyrunt collapsed in exhaustion.

Grant smiled at me from across the battleground. "Well played, Serena, well played."

He sent out his second Pokémon, an Amaura. I got straight to the point. "Frogadier, quick attack!"

The Amaura was barely able to gain its senses before my Pokémon lunged at it, dealing minimal damage, but still damage. Grant, however, was quick to come back, "Now, Amaura, use thunder wave."

_Oh no… _"Dodge!" I yelled, but it wasn't quick enough. My Pokémon was hit with a strong jolt of electricity and he fell, paralysed. "Fight, Frogadier! Use water gun!"

My Pokémon clambered to its feet with much effort and released a weak stream of water. I bit my lip. Finally, I called, "Frogadier, come back." I returned my Pokémon to his ball. "No, budew, let's go!" I got straight into it once again. "Quickly, stun spore!"

My Pokémon showered the Amaura in a paralysing powder. The opposing pokémon's limbs visibly became heavy and hard to lift. _How'd you like the taste of your __own medicine, _I thought in the back of my mind. Grant yelled, "Come on now, use rock tomb!"

Budew was hit with boulders from the opposing Pokémon's attack, but the hits were weak and the Amaura was using all of its energy to deal out the attack.

"Now, budew, Mega drain."

Amaura's energy was further sapped. "Hang in there Amaura!" Grant called, "Use aura beam!"

The Amaura opened its mouth, a ball of light charging in its throat. "Budew," I called, "Dodge this attack and hit back with bullet seed!"

All it took was two more hits, and the foes Pokémon was down. Calem and Shauna cheered and enveloped me in a group hug. Budew even danced around our feet in a celebratory dance. In that moment, I was so glad to have these people as my friends, and so thankful for this journey, as cheesy as that may have been. I forgot all of my worries and strange experiences. I was happy.

"Congratulations." Grant said, coming over to a group with a smile planted on his face, "Here's you badge. It's the cliff badge." I took the badge from him, and held it up to the light to get a better view of it.

"Houndour, use ember." Before I could even register the new voice, the badge in my hands was on fire, searing my fingers. I dropped the badge in panic and pain, and watched as the metal twisted and melted under the heat, burning a patch of grass around it as well.

We all turned in shock to see a man, clad in a bright red suit, wearing a ridiculously red wig and a pair of sunglasses. "I suggest you all scram,"

The man said coldly, "Team Flare dominates this area and you will be treated as trespassers! If you don't leave I will have to execute sufficient methods of annihilation."

We all stood in shock. Who was this guy anyway? What made him think that this place was his. "Look," Grant said, speaking up for us, "I don't

know who you think you are, but this land is sacred, and open to the public. It doesn't belong to anyone, but perhaps the Pokémon that live here."

"You don't know anything," The guy in red spat, "What are you, a bunch of teenagers and an old man?"

Grant looked slightly hurt. "I'm only twenty-one…" he mumbled, before saying, more clearly, "I am the gym leader of Cyllage City. If you wish to continue to challenge me, then so be it."

The mystery-man's face morphed into one a pale shock. "G-g-gym leader…?"

Grant nodded, crossing his arms.

"I-I just remembered that I have important business elsewhere," he said hurriedly, backing away, "But don't think you have won, old man. This place is still dominated by Team Flare!"

Once he was nothing more than a bright red dot in the distance, we all turned back to each other, slightly shocked by this encounter. "I'll get you a new badge, Serena." Grant said apologetically.

"Thank you." I said, unsure what else to say.

"That was _weird!_" Shauna exclaimed.

"Tell me about it," Calem said, "It was only yesterday that Serena and I had another weird encounter with another weird guy, isn't that right Serena?"

I nodded, "Someone must have drugged the water."

Shauna snorted and Calem smirked at the joke, but Grant, taking me seriously, said, "I'll have it checked as soon as possible."

We all burst into laughter. _So this is what it's like to have friends, _I thought as we laughed together.

...

**Yes, Serena had a mind blank. This chapter wasn't going to go like that, but I had a similar kind of thing happen to me recently and I thought it might go well in a story? Yay or nay?**

**Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think :D I feel like I'm rushing... like, a lot. So I am going to try and slow it down a bit from here on in.**


	10. Chapter 10: Deserted Town

**Warning: A tad bit of a boring chapter ahead, and possibly a cliffhanger for the next chapter.**

**Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

"Be safe guys!" Grant called out to us as we left his gym, "And good luck at the other gyms!"

We had gone back to the gym with him to get a second badge, and now we were heading off as a group once more. We waved at him as we trekked our way back down the hill that led to Cyllage City. In the city, we looked around a bit, enjoying each other's company. We knew that we should get going soon, heading towards our next destination, which was Geosenge Town, but none of us really wanted to part with each other.

"Look!" Shauna beamed as a man on a bicycle zoomed past us, "It's a bike! I so need one of those!"

"I doubt any of us could I afford one." I said glumly. A bike did sound fun though.

Calem shrugged. "Meh. On a bike, the journey would go too quickly, don't 'ya think? We need to go at a leisurely pace and absorb all the sights and experiences to a maximum."

I stared at Calem in shock, but he just kept walking along the city path, hands in pockets and feet scuffing the pavement. "When did you get so deep?" I mumbled under my breath.

"So who was that friend of yours earlier?" Shauna whispered to me as Calem walked ahead.

I looked over at her, but she was just staring ahead at Calem, blank faced. That was extremely weird for Shauna. "He already introduced himself. He's Michael."

Shauna shook her head and turned to look at me, both of us stopping in the middle of the street. "I know _that," _she said irritably, "I was just wondering what the relationship between the two of you was."

I gaped at my friend. "Nothing! You could barely call us friends! I met him this morning!"

Shauna nodded and turned to continue walking. "That's good. Because you know that Calem might have feelings for you. And I would hate to see you toy with his emotions like that."

I scoffed, "Calem and I are just friends. Sure, we've been getting close, but so have you and me."

Shauna nodded, keeping her eyes on the pavement as we walked. She didn't seem ok. "Shauna…?" I said, letting my voice drift off.

"I'm all good." Shauna suddenly turned and beamed at me. "I'm _good. _I just worry too much about Calem, ya know? I've known him since we were, like, five."

I smiled and nodded. "Okay. I promise you I won't hurt him. We _are _just friends, Shauna."

My friend nodded. "Hey, look! We're coming up to the next route."

I looked at where she was indicating to. The entrance to the route looked unfamiliar, but the stones were very familiar indeed. "Is this…?"

"The place where we found you yesterday?" Shauna cut me off, "Yes, yes it is."

I nodded and followed Shauna onto the grassy pathway. Calem, who was waiting up ahead, fell in step with us as we caught up to him. "It's peaceful here, don't you think?"

It was. But I didn't like it. It was peaceful, but intensely silent. I spotted a small, brown, fury Pokémon peaking at us from behind one of the stones, but otherwise there were no signs of Pokémon. At one point, I heard the chirping of some kind of bug Pokémon, but it cut off as quickly as it had started. "I don't think peaceful is the right word." I muttered.

We walked in silence. I noticed once again how all the stones seemed different, unique. It was as though they were their own stone, with characteristics and personalities.

It was cooler here, I noticed. It seemed to get colder and colder as we progressed. I shivered.

"Are you cold?" Calem asked, picking up on my miniscule action immediately.

"A little bit." I admitted, wrapping my arms around my body.

"Here." Calem stripped off his jacket and handed it to me.

"Won't you be cold?" I asked, taking notice of his thin, white cotton shirt.

He shrugged. "I'm a man. We can deal with cold."

Shauna and I snorted simultaneously. "You're sixteen!" Shauna exclaimed in amusement. "You aren't a man!"

Calem scrunched up his face. "My man pride is wounded."

Shauna looked at me and we both rolled our eyes. Shauna turned to her bag and pulled out a pink, fluffy jacket. I looked at Calem, and he seemed to be wearing a guilty expression. His jacket suddenly felt heavy around my shoulders.

"Look," Calem said suddenly, cutting through the awkward silence that was subtly settling upon our group, "There's the next town."

"Geosenge Town." Shauna filled in.

We all stepped into the quiet, practically deserted town. On a street to my right, a cluster of small log houses sat. From one of the windows, a woman stared at me. As our eyes met, the woman glowered and slammed the blinds shut. "Did we do something wrong?" I muttered, feeling self-conscious.

"What could we have possibly done wrong?" Calem replied.

We trudged towards the Pokémon centre, feeling grateful for the familiarity of the centre and the nurse. "Are we staying for a night?" the nurse asked as we approached the front desk.

Shauna turned to us for confirmation, and then nodded at the nurse. "Yes, please. We can share a room."

With a nod and a smile, the nurse handed us a room key and offered to take our Pokémon. We gave their poke balls to her and went off in search of our room. Finally, we found it and settled in. Shauna and I decided to share the double bed while Calem took the fold out coach.

We looked out the window and saw that it was already getting dark. "I'm going to have a shower." Shauna declared, and trudged off to the bathroom.

Calem and I were left alone. I walked over and perched on the side of his now-folded-out coach, where he was sitting. "You seem different today." I observed.

Calem raised an eyebrow at me. "Nah, you're just starting to get to know me. After all, the same could be said for you."

"For me?"

"Yeah," he elaborated, "You seem more and more confident every day. It's good. But I'm starting to miss the little, shy Serena."

"Are you telling me I've put on weight?" I said in mock horror.

To my surprise, his cheeks burned bright and he held up his hands in defence. "No! Not at all! When I said little I didn't mean that you were _big _now… just that…"

I laughed. "I'm just _kidding. _I know what you meant."

Calem slowly relaxed. "See? A few days ago you wouldn't be caught dead saying something like that!"

"A few days ago you wouldn't be caught being embarrassed about that." I countered, smirking at him.

He sighed in defeat. "I guess we're just changing each other."

"For the better, I would hope."

* * *

Later that night, Calem and Shauna had drifted off to sleep, and I was wide awake. Drowsiness knew no home in my mind at that moment. And so, I was left looking out the window at the tree line surrounding the town, the moonlight illuminating the branches only slightly. There was something about the trees and the faint shadows that they cast off that seemed incredibly creepy.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to bring sleep to my mind. _Serena, _a voice echoed through my mind, _what are you doing? Don't go into the forest. You'll make mummy and daddy worry. _The voice was familiar, a memory. It was deep and warm and kind. I let myself fall into the memory.

**'****_If you want to look for Pokémon, then tell me and I'll come with you.' He said. _**

**_'But there's a Pokémon in there! It's hurt. I can hear it.' I wailed. _**

**_'Well then we'll have to go in there and help it. Together. You and me, Serena.'_**

I smiled at the memory, wanting to remember more, but it was already fading. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes. To my surprise, something outside of the window had changed. There was someone standing at the tree line now. I frowned and got out of the bed, careful not to wake Shauna. I approached the window and squinted at the figure.

It was a man, who looked strangely familiar. It was hard to tell from a distance, but it looked like…

"Dad?" I mumbled.

* * *

**If I've stuffed up somewhere along the way or if you'd like to give some feedback or if you just like the story it would be greatly appreciated it you could leave a review :) Thanks for reading :D**


	11. Chapter 11: Haunted Memories

**Hello my few followers. Sorry this chapter is a day late. I've had a HUGE week and weekend and so this chapter is a bit rushed and I am ultimately unsatisfied with it, but I figured I should post something so here it is :)**

...

"Dad?" I called as I stumbled closer to the tree line I had seen through my window, "Where did you go?" I could have sworn that I had seen him outside of the window. I wasn't losing my mind, it was him. It had to be him. I could never forget that figure. I couldn't have possibly seen his face but his outline, his hair, his stature, everything about that figure standing by the tree line was my father.

I was barefoot and in my pyjamas as I padded over the grass. Eventually the ground became scattered with dirt, rocks and fallen tree bark, all digging into my feet and making me wince with each step. Before I knew it, I was at the tree line, peering into the forest, squinting in the dim light. I could hear the pokémon's eerie chatter, and the aura that I got from the forest sent shivers down my spine.

"Dad?" I whispered into the darkness, slightly scared being out there on my own.

Suddenly, a Pokémons' wailing blasted at my ears, making me cringe and step back from the trees. The Pokémon kept on screeching, and I held my hands to my ears. It sounded like it was in trouble, or in pain. Its helpless cry brought tears to my eyes.

**_'But there's a Pokémon in there! It's hurt. I can hear it.'_**

The memory startled me. But then I realised… the crying of that Pokémon was exactly like the one all those years ago.

**_'Well then we'll have to go in there and help it. Together. You and me, Serena.'_**

"But where are you dad?" I mumbled pitifully. He wasn't with me this time, and I was scared. I felt a tear spill down my cheek and I hurriedly wiped it away. I was _not _going to cry. Not at a time like this. Not when that Pokémon in their needed my help.

I took a deep breath and treaded into the forest. I followed the Pokémons' cry until it felt like it was so close and so loud that my ears would explode, but I still couldn't see the Pokémon. The dimness of the forest wasn't helping either.

The Pokémons' wails seemed to echo from all around me, and I turned on the spot helplessly, trying to find where it was coming from. I tried to see through the darkness, but I could barely see my hand when I stretched it out in front of me. I felt panic set in. _Which way did I come from? Where am I? _

The ground rumbled beneath my feet, and it felt familiar. Like laughter. I felt cold.

_Stupid girl. _The dark and cold voice echoed into my brain, audible through the Pokémon that was wailing somewhere in this forest.

"What the hell do you want?" I screamed, my head aching and my limbs growing heavy.

The ground rumbled again. _You're trying to save that Pokémon, aren't you? How admirable, little Serena. _

"Answer me!" I fought through the emptiness that was settling over me like an icy blanket.

_But you can do nothing, just like your father could do nothing. Speaking of whom, isn't that what drew you out here? _The voice mocked.

"Where is he?" I pleaded, "Give him back to me."

The voice chuckled, _As you wish. _

To my left, a shadowy figured blinked into sight. I turned in utter shock. There he was, my father, just standing there, right in front of me. He smiled and I took a step towards him, then another, and before long a sprinted towards him and threw my arms around him. He hugged me back. "My little Serena." He whispered.

"Dad," I choked back tears.

"Why did you come here?"

I pulled away from him and turned my head in confusion. "Because you…. The Pokémon!" I remembered the wailing, and tuned my ears in on it, but all that there was, was silence. "What happened to it?"

"You don't remember?" My dad said.

I turned to face him, but he had disappeared. "Dad?" I shouted, desperate, "Dad! Where did you go?"

"Right here," the voice came from behind me and I spun around to see his shadowy figure, but it seemed… transparent now. His face was shrouded in a black mist, which glowed with two red dots where his eyes should have been.

_You should remember what happened all those years ago, Serena, _The voice had taken over my fathers, and it drilled into my mind. It made a _tsk_ing sound. _I'm disappointed in you. Shall I refresh your memory?_

"No…" I cried, "No!"

But my vision was turning black, and I couldn't stop the sudden pull of the memory.

**'Well then we'll have to go in there and help it. Together. You and me, Serena.'**

**Together we tracked through the forest, following the wails of the injured Pokémon. Eventually we found it, a little Pidgey, and its wing was broken. I fluttered on the ground, trying to righten itself, but falling flat each time it tried. It cried out for help, and its wails were cracked with pain. It broke my heart. **

**Cautiously, my dad and I approached the helpless Pokémon. It squawked with concern when it noticed us, but eventually calmed down enough for my dad to gently lift it up in his arms. **

**"What have you done to yourself?" My dad said to the little bird Pokémon, his voice layered with sadness. The Pokémon chirped, its call laced with the same sadness, mixed with its own pain. **

**"Daddy," I whispered, a tear spilling down my cheek, "Will the pidgey be ok?"**

**My dad looked at me, and I could see the hurt in his eyes, but I didn't understand it. "Yes, Honey," he said through gritted teeth, which I thought was supposed to be a smile, "It'll be all ok. I'm just going to take the Pokémon away for a moment, ok, Honey? It will be fine, I'm just going to stop its pain."**

**"Ok, Daddy!" I exclaimed, "That's good."**

**"Say good bye to the Pokémon, Serena," my dad said sadly, for some reason, "We may not see him again. Once his pain is gone, he will be a free Pokémon. He will travel wherever he wants and play with all the other Pokémon."**

**My dad carried the Pokémon away into the bushed, and I waited where I was. I smiled when the pidgey's crying was stopped, because **

**I knew that my dad had helped the bird. He had saved it.**

...

I opened my eyes, a tear sliding down my cheek. I hadn't realised back then, when I was so young, what the fate of the helpless little Pokémon was to be. I had no clue about what my dad had actually done. Of course, I had realised it a few years later, but by then, my dad was already gone.

_You know what happened to the Pidgey, Serena, _The voice boomed, causing me to remember my situation.

I realised that I was still in the forest, lying on my back in the soft dirt. "Yes," I said weakly, barely audible to my own ears.

_Death is everywhere, Serena. _

"I know."

_Do you know what happened to your father, Serena. _

"No," Now tears flowed freely, as I understood what the voice was trying to imply.

_Don't give in child, _came a whole new voice in my head. This voice seemed calmer, and much more peaceful. _Don't let it affect you so. Do not fret. I will protect you from this evil for now. You must focus on the tasks that you are about to face. _

And with those words, the voices faded into nothingness and I was let sitting in the grassy plane, all alone, wondering if I was losing my mind. Both presences - the dark, menacing one and the peaceful one – were gone.

...

**Thanks for the support peoples and please keep on letting me know what you think :) PM and reviews are so appreciated :)) And it's now late so goodnight**


	12. Chapter 12: Feelings

**Warning: Romance ahead :P Yes, this is the first chapter of this story I am dedicating to romance :) Hope it's not awful.**

**...**

"Serena?" Calem's voice drifted through my dreamless haze of a sleep, "Serena, are you ok? C'mon, wake up. Wake up, please."

"But I'm tired," I mumbled, keeping my eyes closed.

I could hear the laughter behind his voice. "I know, Serena. But it's morning and it's cold out here in the forest."

"Forest?" I muttered, finally daring to crack open my eyes.

I was laying on the ground, leaves and bark digging into the side of my face. We were surrounded by trees and weak sunlight filtered through the canopy above us. Pokémon chirped and buzzed in the background. "What happened?"

"Why don't you tell me that?" Calem laughed, "I noticed you were gone in the morning, and I had no clue where you had gone. Luckily, a cute little pidgey made me follow it until I stumbled across you."

"A… pidgey?" I asked, my voice shaking, remembering what had happened last night.

Calem frowned. "Yeah… Is that bad?"

"No," I said quickly, "I'm grateful."

Calem huffed, "Me too. I had a heart attack when you weren't there in the morning."

I looked at Calem, who was kneeling beside me, his grey eyes filled with concern and relief at the same time. "Why would you worry about little old me?" I joked, trying to shrug what he had said off. He had worried about me. He cared about me.

Calem helped me to my feet. "Because you're worth worrying about." He said seriously. I averted my eyes. He was staring at me funnily, and I didn't like it. "Are you going to tell me what happened?" Calem said after a pause.

I bit my lip. "I, uh, felt like going for a walk?"

Calem rolled his eyes and smiled at me. "Like hell. Look, I don't mind if you don't want to tell me. I've noticed that something is wrong, but if you don't want to talk about it then I'm not going to force you to. Just remember that I'm always here for you. If you want to talk or if you just want…" I was starting to think that maybe I should tell him.

He trailed off and I looked at him expectantly. Eventually, he stopped walking and halted my steps along with him. "Or if you just want…" he tried again. He was looking at the ground, so I couldn't see his facial expression.

"What's wrong, Calem?" I asked shyly.

He looked up at me, and I saw that his eyes were brimming with tears. "Don't keep disappearing like that, Serena."

I frowned. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to. It's hard to explain."

"Then why don't you tell me?" He said, slightly exasperated.

"I thought you just said…"

"Screw what I just said," he interrupted. He took my by the shoulders and looked into my eyes. "Serena, please understand that I care too much about you for you to just keep being upset and keep disappearing like this."

"I don't understand…"

Suddenly, Calem leaned towards me and before I could even register what was happening, his lips were pushed against mine.

I did what any teenage girl who had never been kissed before would do. I pushed him away, let out a little scream and bolted in the opposite direction.

"Serena!" Calem shouted, and I heard his footsteps running to catch up with me.

What had happened? My mind couldn't process this. I didn't understand. I was confused. I was upset. I was tired and sore. All the feelings I was having about being able to tell him had disappeared. Why did that just happen? _Why was I running_? I halted in my tracks.

I turned and saw Calem run up to me. He stopped a metre away from me, leaning his hands on his knees and taking deep breaths. "Why…" he panted, "Did you run away?"

"You…" the words sounded so awkward, "You kissed me."

Calem stood up straight. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. It… I… It just happened."

I stared at him. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry." He apologised again.

"Why would you do that?" I asked, unsure if he heard my quiet voice. I had lost all the confidence I had around him before. "We were beginning to be such great friends."

Calem's face tightened. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

I stared at him. He stared at me. His expression seemed indifferent again; like it had the time I first met him. Friendly, yet cold. It was like when he had told me he carried me out of Santalune Forrest; uninterested. I felt like I had just screwed up, but _I _wasn't the one who had done anything wrong. _He _was the one that came out of nowhere and kissed me. How was I supposed to react to my first kiss being taken so abruptly?

"Let's head back to the town. Shauna will be awake by now." He said mono-tonely.

I nodded and we walked awkwardly back to the town. Calem seemed to know where he was going so I just followed him. He walked a pace ahead of my, his hands in his pockets and his posture stiff. I found myself asking what was wrong with me. It wasn't like I didn't like Calem. Maybe I really _was _the one who had done something wrong. "Calem, I want to tell you…"

"Look," he said, cutting me off, "We're at the town."

I stopped. "I can see that," the trees opened up in front of us and I could see the orange roof of the Pokémon centre, "But can we just stay here for a moment?"

"Why?" Calem asked, unemotionally.

"Because I want to talk to you about…"

"I thought you didn't want to tell me," Calem stated coldly.

"Why are you saying that?" I said, getting frustrated, "Just stop and listen to me for a moment." I reached out and grabbed his wrist to stop him from walking.

He jerked his wrist out of my grip and looked back at me, tears visibly brimming in his eyes. "What is it? What do you want?" His tone shocked me, and I was left stuttering for something to say. There was so much that I wanted to tell him, but after that I was left speechless. "I… I-I-I… Calem, I…."

He glared at me and turned back around. "Save it." I gaped at him. What had happened to him? Why had he so suddenly and severely changed? I felt like I had just lost a friend, but he was standing right in front of me. "Let's get back," He said, his voice cold and quiet.

...

**So, let me know what you think :)**


	13. Chapter 13: Romance is Stupid

**I'm sorry about not updating last week :/ I've been really busy and have barely gotten to write anything. Anyways, this chapter is a bit of a filler chapter for the next one. Sorry if it seems off... I've only just gotten back into writing it after two weeks... anyways, hope you enjoy :)**

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It had been so long since that incident with Calem.

I wasn't actually sure exactly how long it had been myself, but it had been at least a few weeks ago. Since then, I hadn't been travelling with my friends, hadn't really been battling other trainers much, and hadn't really _done _anything. I didn't know what was wrong with me. The colour of adventure and happiness and life itself had drained from the things around me. I found nothing interesting and started to question this entire trek across Kalos.

Even Pokémon had lost their charm on me. I barely even interacted with my Frogadier or any of my other Pokémon. It all seemed pointless. In the beginning, I was mystified by their existence and saw them with such magnificent awe. Now their lives seemed bleak, ordinary. I watched them from a distance one day. Just watched them, as they scuttled through the tall grass, living their lives. How were they all that different from us humans in the end?

Why was their life so significant? I remembered picking Froakie to accompany me on my adventure. I remembered the weight of that decision. All three Pokémon were alive, they were significant. Now, I didn't understand why I thought that. Why did it matter? What difference would it have made if I had chosen differently?

Chosen differently… What if I had reacted differently?

What would have happened if I stayed in bed that morning? What if I had never met Calem and Shauna? What if I had never gotten a Pokémon and started this pointless adventure in the first place? What if Calem hadn't tried to kiss me?

What if I had let him?

But in the end, I realised, while sitting on a park bench on a route that I hadn't taken a note of name from before I began walking it, my thinking was the thing that was truly pointless. Why did I dwell over this so much? It wasn't like there was anything I could do to change it.

I raindrop splattered onto my face, and I peered up at the sky to see that dark clouds were roiling across the sky, looming above me like a bad omen. I thought feebly that they represented my mood. I couldn't remember the last time I felt happy. No, Calem had ripped happiness from me in a matter of seconds. But why? I kept asking myself why, but I never came up with an answer.

Rain began to fall harder, but I made no attempt to move from my park bench. I saw a weak flash of lightning in the far distance, the thunder taking a full minute before reaching me. The storm was far away, but it still lodged an icy feeling into my heart. I remembered Lumiose City, remembered the storm, and shivered.

Someone bustled past me, holding up their hood to shield themselves from the rain. I didn't pay them attention, just let them skitter past. I continued to stare ahead, watching the Pokémon scatter in the grass, diving for cover from the falling drops of water.

"Serena?"

The stranger had backtracked, and now they – he – stood in front of me. I looked up at him slowly, and felt some sort of weak feeling of shock reach my heart. "Michael?"

The familiar boy stepped forward. "It _is _you. What are you doing out here? In the rain?"

I blinked at him and swiped a now wet strand of hair out of my face. "Just… thinking."

"About?" He prodded.

I shrugged, expecting him to let it drop and run away to get cover from the rain, leaving me there. Instead, he sighed deeply and plonked down on the empty space next to me. "You see the things I do for you?"

"Funny," I mumbled, almost letting myself smile.

"Hey, what's up?" He bumped me with his shoulder playfully, but he didn't smile or laugh.

I bit my lip. "You wouldn't understand."

He raised his eyebrows. "What do you take me for? An idiot?"

I looked at him for the first time face-to-face. He really did have Calem's eyes, and it made me slightly uneasy. His brown hair was darkened and dripping with rain. It was weird seeing him without a smile or even a smirk. "I-I-I- No! Of course not, Michael!"

He cracked a smile then, returning his face to the one I remembered. "I'm just playing with you. Calm down."

I felt my cheeks turn warm and I hoped it was hard to see in the dark. "I'm sorry."

"For being so gloomy?" he asked, "Yeah, you should be."

"Why is it so bad that I'm feeling gloomy?" I demanded, suddenly mad, "Why _shouldn't _I get to feel down once in a while? _Why shouldn't I?" _I raised my voice dramatically for that last sentence.

"Did something happen with your friends?" He asked, unfazed by my break down.

I stared at him; partly annoyed, partly surprised, partly relieved that someone got it. I tore my gaze away from him and looked at my feet. "You could say that."

"Tell me about it."

I looked back up at him. I surprised myself when I actually opened my mouth to start telling him, when I barely knew him. But once I got the first word out, I couldn't stop. The words tumbled out of my mouth so quickly that I didn't have time to stop them.

Once I was finished, silence settled amongst us. Finally, he said, "So… What you're telling me is that you're upset because this Calem guy kissed you?"

"Well, when you put it like that it sounds…"

"Stupid?" he cut me off, "That would be because it _is _stupid, Serena."

I gaped at him. When I didn't say anything, he continued, "Look, it may seem like the end of the world to you right now, but it's seriously not a biggie. You had to have your first kiss eventually, right? Someday, you'll have your second and your third and fourth and you'll forget completely about your first! Here, I'll prove it to you."

Before I even processed what he had said, he gripped my face between his hands and pushed his lips onto mine. I flailed stupidly before he released me, leaving my head spinning.

"See?" he said, his eyes sparking and giving away his serious demeanour. I didn't understand what that meant, but it was the last thing going through my mind. "Now you've had your second. Not even a big deal, right? What I'm trying to tell you is that this whole thing with your friend – _Romance _in general – Is stupid and I don't understand why you're wasting your time worrying about it."

I continued to gape at him.

"Take my advice Serena. There is plenty of time for lovey-dovey crap in life. This time – right now – is time that should be devoted to your adventure. You should be seeing the world, meeting Pokémon, battling alongside those Pokémon as they become friends before Pokémon!"

I felt my eye twitch. His words were hitting somewhere close to home. "You sound like… My father."

Michael cracked a brilliant and devious smile. "Hey, don't go comparing me to your old man now! I didn't think my chances were quite as bad as father-zoned!"

"You said it wasn't a big deal!" I exclaimed, "That romance is stupid!"

"It is." He winked at me.

Before I could understand what he meant, he got to his feet and held his hand out to me. "C'mon, m'Lady."

With a smile, I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. "Where are we going?"

Michael smirked. "I've actually been waiting to run into you again, There's something I want to show you. And I promise that you will love it!"

The rain poured down around me, but I didn't feel its cold anymore. The grey clouds still loomed over me, but I didn't let them touch my emotions any more. I was happy, and glad to be getting on with my journey. Maybe all I needed was for someone to remind me of what was really important: Me, my Pokémon and victory. I was going to resume my quest for gaining the gym badges as soon as possible. I was back on track.

I searched my bag with one hand, the other still gripped in Michael's hand as he lead me through the route, until I pulled out a pokeball. I released my Frogadier and he bounced happily beside me, sensing my mood change. He lapped up the rain drops and croaked happily.

The three of us – Michael, Frogadier and I – pushed through the rain, side by side. Things were going to get better.

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**Thanks for reading :)**


	14. Chapter 14: Warning

**Sorry again for this being late. My laptop was in repair and then they wiped the memory so I had to re-write this chapter :/ Anyways, here it is now :)**

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We ended up back in Cyllage City after a ride on one of Michael's flying-type pokemon. He led me back towards the entrance to the city but refused to tell me where we were going _exactly. _

"Why won't you tell me where you're taking me?" I asked, "Are you trying to kidnap me or something?"

Michael just shrugged at me. "If I said yes, you would run away screaming, so let's say it's a no."

"So you _are _trying to kidnap me," I gaped at him.

"I'm far too much of a gentleman to do something like that." He grinned at me. I rolled my eyes and playfully punched him in the arm. He feigned injury, making me laugh, but then silence settled over us.

Eventually, Michael said, "You know how I was telling you about fossils?"

I frowned, digging through my thoughts to bring back the memory. "Yeah, I remember."

"Well, this has to do with that. Trust me, it's cool. I thought you might want to see it."

"Okay," I said suspiciously.

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We wound up in front of a clean, white building in the middle of a dusty waste-land. The sign on the door read _Fossils Laboratory. _Michael led me inside, were there were shelves upon shelves of rocks, bones, leaves and other unfamiliar objects, and at least ten scientists buzzing around the items and recording things on little clip boards.

One scientist seemed to spot us and waved us over. He was a short man with a few strands of hair pathetically pulled over a bald spot on his head. He squinted at us through a pair of thick glasses and said, "Good evening, Michael. What are you doing back here? I thought you were off to Shalor City.

Michael shrugged. With his laid-back vibe, hands in his pockets and cool grey eyes observing the man in front of him casually, Michael reminded me of Calem. "I ran into this lovely lady," He gestured to me, "And decided to bring her back to show her _him." _

The emphasise on that last word sent a shiver down my spine. Who was _him_? The scientist observed me sceptically. "You sure she would want to see?"

Michael nodded without a doubt. Maybe, just maybe, he should've asked me how I felt about this first. I didn't even know what it was that he wanted to show me!

The scientist sighed. "Very well."

We followed him to the back to the room, pushing past a few excited scientists to get behind the front desk and through a back door. Michael grinned at me again, "Don't be scared now. He can't hurt anyone."

Worry and doubt filled my stomach. What was going on?

We walked down a long hallway lit up with sickly white lights and came to a stop in front of a bulky metal door with a passcode lock. The scientist punched in a few numbers and the door swung open. I almost screamed.

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**Calem's POV**

Stupid, stupid, stupid…

I kept calling myself that. Over and over again. It was really the only word to call myself at the moment. Everything that had happened with Serena was eating away at me, and I didn't like it. I wanted these stupid feelings to stop. I wish I had no emotions.

Besides, I had more important things to worry about. Shauna, Trevor and Tierno had all met up along the way to Shalor City and now we were all looking up at a gigantic stone castle that was ringed with statues of Pokémon (mostly Lucario).

"D-do we go inside?" Trevor stuttered.

No one answered. They were all too busy gaping at the enormity of the building. So, I – with my hands in my pockets and my eyes neutral – said, "Well, it's no good standing out here."

I was the first to take a step inside of the building, and I made myself seem as casual as possible. There was no point in getting worked up about this place. The castle's interior was just as huge and grand as the outside at been. A spiralling staircase ringed the outside walls and a magnificent statue of Lucario dominated the centre of the room.

"Hello?" I called out.

The others were just entering the building, all of them grouping nervously behind me. "It doesn't seem right." Shauna squeaked.

I shrugged her comment off. She was just nervous. I called out again. There was still no response so I turned to the group. "She did say to meet us at this place, right?"

Everyone nodded. I sighed. "Oh well. Let's look around."

Much to the others' distress, we split up. Trevor and Tierno searched downstairs while Shauna and I made our way up the staircase. When we got to the first landing, Shauna volunteered, "I'll search in that room over there," She pointed at a set of large double doors down a corridor.

I nodded. "I'll keep going up, then."

And I did. I went up and up and up until there were no more stairs to walk up. There was a huge open archway and I could feel a salty breeze blowing in through it. I stepped towards the archway, and something grabbed me from behind.

I tried to scream, but a hand clamped over my mouth, muffling my cry. I struggled against whatever had a hold on me, but something hard hit my legs and I went toppling to the ground. As I blinked the stars away from my vision, a face appeared above me. She had blonde hair, light blue eyes and she was smiling. The face made me stop squirming… it was Korrina. Beside her, two blue and brown faces appeared – her two lucarios.

She held a finger to her lips, telling me to be quiet, and then she removed her hand from my mouth. Immediately, I whispered, "What was that all about?"

She giggled quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you scaring it."

"Scaring what?" I asked.

She motioned towards the archway and I followed her towards it. We poked our heads around the corner, and I immediately understood what she had meant.

Outside the archway was a massive balcony, it's ivory railings glimmering in the twilight. But the beautiful balcony wasn't what took my breath away. Standing on the balcony was a Pokémon… but it wasn't just a Pokémon. I had never seen anything like it before, but I could tell that it was powerful.

It was a giant deer. It's blue body shimmered in the rising stars' light and it's magnificent antlers that sprouted from its head seemed to glow with a dazzling, yet non-existent light. It was like I could see it glowing, but it wasn't. The sensation made me dizzy.

As if it sensed us watching it, its head turned ever so slightly to reveal a gleaming white eye that stared directly at us. Without even realising I had done it, I had stepped out into its full view. I expected it to leap away, but it only turned more to face me.

After a while, I worked up the courage to slowly approach it. Korrina hissed at me to stop, but I felt like I had to. I got within a metre of the Pokémon before it snorted slightly at me and I stopped. It had completely mesmerised me.

It felt like eternity had passed when I heard something… like a whisper sweeping through my brain. And I knew it was this Pokémon who had spoken to me, even though it gave no indication that it had been the one to put the message in my brain.

_Serena is in danger._

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**Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) I'm starting to wind it down to a couple of action chapters... you've been warned. Please let me know if you liked it or if there's anything I can improve. Thank you :) See you next time :)**


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